The Liberal Institute for Political Analyses and the European Liberal Forum are looking for multiple authors for a publication “EU Labor Market: Liberal Solutions to retain, attract and innovate”
Call for authors
The Liberal Institute for Political Analyses and the European Liberal Forum are looking for multiple authors for a publication “EU Labor Market: Liberal Solutions to retain, attract and innovate”
Interested authors should submit their CVs and concept notes by 20 April 2025 to Zina Zlatanova: z.veleva@abv.bg
Rationale:
The EU is facing a critical shortfall of skilled workforce to meet its economic ambition and to tackle the double digital and green challenge. Nearly two-thirds of Europe’s 25 million SMEs say they cannot find the right workers with the right skills. The need is visible across sectors and levels, regions and member states. The demand for industry related and tech-related skills should be taken as a primary concern in every emerging economic strategy. Demography and brain drain are disrupting the labor market despite numerous strategies and plans, both EU and national.
There are multiple questions that need to be tackled. Why do skilled workers choose employers beyond their own country or the EU? How are changing workers’ expectations met by the European labor market: the wage policies, the work-life balance, affordable housing and childcare, and the integration of migrants? And which liberal solutions can be proposed to improve the labor market shortages? Is it for example time for a truly integrated internal labor market? What barriers stand in the way, and how can they be overcome?
Scope and objectives:
1. Identify the unexploited potential of and/or obstacles to the creation of a genuine internal labor market.
2. Point-out or promote liberal and European solutions that contribute to effectively match skills across EU and attracting talent beyond EU borders.
Target audience:
The publication should be written in accessible, journalistic language so that the logic and purpose of the proposals/recommendations can be clearly seen. As a result, it can serve as a source of innovative ideas for further exploration.
Each contribution should be problem specific and analyze workforce and talent and skills issues from a different angle.
Possible topics are, but are not limited to:
We look for innovative thinking that outlines new ideas or underpins already proposed solutions that represent the liberal approach and formulate policy proposals for changes at European national or regional levels, that can form a basis for future policy proposals.
Each chapter will be structured as followed:
Expected length of contributions: min 1500 – 2500 words.
Ideally each contribution includes at least one visual (graphic, table, map, etc.).
Timeline:
Contact: Zinaida Zlatanova, z.veleva@abv.bg; lipa@liberalforum.eu
Budget: Author’s fee: EUR 500 (gross).